News Monkeys run wild in Yugawara Onsen

[thomas]

Monkeys have become a serious nuisance in Yugawara, a famous hot spring town in Kanagawa Prefecture. They are breaking into houses, attacking pets, and eating whatever food they can get their hands on, from fruit to bread. Locals say the situation has grown out of control. One man remembered waking to the sight of a monkey sitting at his dining table, casually eating bananas. At first, he thought it was just a backpack left behind, but then realised it was an animal making itself at home. Another resident said the entire blueberry harvest had been wiped out, while others spoke of monkeys ripping open window screens to get indoors. Many complain that the creatures have become so used to people that they no longer show any fear.

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According to the town's survey, more than 26,000 cases of damage to daily life have been reported over the past three years, including 930 incidents of injury to people just last year. Some residents said monkeys lifted window screens with surprising dexterity to slip inside and steal food. The animals have been spotted all across town—rattling parked motorcycles at golf courses, attempting to break into produce shops, and even invading accommodation facilities. At the 90-year-old hot spring inn Fukiya, monkeys climbed over the roof and entered the outdoor bath changing rooms, scattering amenities. "We can only scare them off with toy guns, but that's about the only countermeasure we've thought of," said innkeeper Mariko Yamamoto. At a guesthouse popular with foreign tourists, monkeys tore holes in walls, chewed through internet cables, and even cut off Wi-Fi service. "When they threatened us and I had nothing in my hands, the only option was to kick them away with my foot. It was frightening," said Masato Hyakutake, manager of Share House Yugawara. He added that the facility has since reinforced its doors, repaired walls with acrylic boards, and rerouted cables indoors to prevent further damage.

Monkeys Go Bananas in Yugawara Hot Spring Town

Monkeys are running wild in Yugawara, one of Kanagawa Prefecture’s best-known hot spring towns, raiding homes, attacking dogs, and eating whatever they please, from bananas to bread.

newsonjapan.com

 

[mdchachi]

Rewritten with CGPT's help.

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Tourists Run Amok in Yugawara Hot Spring Town
KANAGAWA, Sep 19 – It's not wild animals troubling Yugawara these days—it's wild tourists. Locals say rowdy visitors have been raiding kitchens, stripping blueberry patches, and even breaking into homes with the sort of determination usually reserved for cats chasing tuna.

One resident woke to find a stranger at his dining table peeling bananas. "At first I thought it was my nephew's backpack. Turns out it was a tourist helping himself to breakfast," he said.

The trouble doesn't stop at snacks: tourists have been caught rattling motorcycles, barging into bathhouses, and knocking Wi-Fi offline at local inns. "We tried shooing them away with toy guns, but they just took selfies instead," sighed innkeeper Mariko Yamamoto.

Town officials are now considering measures ranging from reinforced doors to polite signs in multiple languages reminding guests that blueberry fields, changing rooms, and other people's kitchens are not all-inclusive amenities.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

We have a similar problem with politicians in D.C. , LOL.